Flightless Bird
by Det-Kate-Nikki-Beckett-Heat
Summary: One shot, don't hurt me please. Wrote this while waiting for 6x17 and listening to Ed Sheeran and eating Ice Cream. This is probably really bad, and uncharacteristic to each of them. Especially Josh, Castle and Kate but there you go AU. CHARACTER DEATHS. What happens when Rick comes face to face with his worst fears. Crap summary, I was in tears writing this...


One shot, don't hurt me please. Wrote this while waiting for 6x17 and listening to Ed Sheeran and eating Ice Cream. This is probably really bad, and uncharacteristic to each of them. Especially Josh, Castle and Kate but there you go AU. I recommend listening to 'Flightless Bird'' by Iron and Wine whilst reading this if anyone does… BYE

I OWN NOTHING

* * *

Never expected anything like this to happen. Not again at least. After all the good they had done. After all the good she had done. How could anyone be so cruel to put him through that again? The pain. The anger. The sound of the gun shot still rang in his ears. She held his hand,he shook violently as she whispered in his ear, trying to fight her own tears, ''it's okay to cry Cas,'' _hypocrite _she thought to herself. They were crouched down next to the small body. If they had only been there sooner, maybe non of this would of happened. The pair heard sirens in the distance, but they were too late. Alexis Rodgers was dead.

* * *

**15 MINUTES BEFORE.**

''ESPO! GET ME BACK UP AT CASTLES LOFT NOW!'' Beckett screamed down the phone whilst driving at a ridiculously high speed, she didn't care.

''ETA 20 MINUTES BECKETT WE'RE COMING,'' Esposito yelled back, the urgency in his voice made Castle wince.

''COME ON, COME ON, COME ON!'' Castle shouted, his sudden outburst startled her slightly.

''We're going to get there in time,'' Kate said as she placed and hand on Ricks knee, she quickly removed it as they turned a sharp corner.

The image he had been sent moments ago was enough to make him vomit. His little girl, bound and gagged to a kitchen chair. The fear in her eyes. Her black mascara stained her face. The caption disgusted him '_You took my baby, now I will take yours – J' _Castle didn't understand. Who was J? Who's baby had he taken? When did any of this happen? WHY ALEXIS?!

''We best do… for his sake,'' Castle said, his words full of venom. She had never seen him like this before, she was scared.. for whoever J was.

''Here,'' Kate said as they pulled outside the building. They rushed out of her car and towards the door. He ran faster than ever to the elevator but it was taking too long.

''STAIRS!'' He shouted, Beckett nodded and followed. Normally she was in charge, and he was stepping on her toes, pulling her pigtails. Not today. Not now. They made it to the fifth floor, they just had one more to go when they heard it. The piercing sound of a bullet leaving a gun. _GOD PLEASE NO! _He thought to himself as he sprinted up the stairs, two or more steps at a time they made it to his floor. Beckett now lead them since she had a gun. Kate looked at his door. It had been forced open. She counted to three, _one…two…three._

* * *

''NYPD, FREEZE!'' Kate shouted into his loft. Her eyes frantically searched the place. She couldn't see anyone, nothing out of the ordinary. Then she saw it. A pool of crimson liquid forming around the side of the kitchen unit. ''Cas…'' Her words fell flat as they both ran over to the blood pool.

''ALEXIS,'' Castle screamed, his voice filled with pain, he grabbed a knife from the side and cut her binds. Rick scooped his daughter up into his arms, he called her name several times as he checked for a pulse. ''Alexis… no,'' he cried.

She held his hand, he shook violently as she whispered in his ear, trying to fight her own tears, ''it's okay to cry Cas,'' _hypocrite _she thought to herself. They were crouched down next to the small body. If they had only been there sooner, maybe non of this would of happened. The pair heard sirens in the distance, but they were too late. Alexis Rodgers was dead.

''Please don't be dead,'' Just as he said that they heard a small chuckle. Quickly Castle moved behind the kitchen cabinet with Alexis in his arms. Kate followed but slipped in Alexis's blood, covering her back and hands in it. She grabbed her gun and looked into Ricks eyes.

''NYPD COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP,'' Kate ordered as she gipped her gun tightly.

''Always liked it when you was bossy,'' the voice said seductively. Kate froze. She knew that voice anywhere and she knew Castle did too.

''Josh?'' Kate asked tears streaming down her face.

''You know it babe,'' the sick psychopath said smugly as he walked out of Ricks 'Office'.

Kate stood up gun by her side, Castle sat there crying. Unable to speak. Unable to move. ''Why did you do this Josh? Why Alexis? WHAT DO YOU WANT?'' She shouted as she pointed her gun at his head. Her hands shook violently.

''Writer boy stole you from me, I stole her from him. Simply really,'' he sounded calm but the shaky hand, holding the gun said otherwise.

''I was never yours to steal, Josh give me the gun…please,'' Kate begged, no police training could prepare her for this. ''GIVE IT TO ME!'' She demanded!

''Fine. You asked for it,'' Josh said with venom. He held his gun out as if he was actually going to give it to her. Kate made her way over to him, she was less than 2 metres away when he pulled back the gun and opened fire. Once. Twice. Three times. Kate let out a cry of pain. She dropped her gun, it slid over towards Castle as she fell to the floor. Josh stood there for a minute or two, he watched the life drain out of her. With each second that passed her face became paler and paler. Castle froze. When he heard the three shots he didn't dare move. He waited. Nothing. No sound, not even a breathe other than his own. He saw the gun. Rick pressed a kiss against his dead daughters head and carefully lowered her head to the floor. He reached for Kate's gun. Kate. Images of her flew though his mind. Then he got up.

''Going somewhere?'' Rick asked when he saw Josh making his way towards the door.

''Nothing left for me here…'' Josh said as he looked at Kate's body on the floor. She was covered in Alexis's blood as well as her own. The sirens were much closer, right outside in fact. He knew it would be minutes before Ryan and Esposito stormed through the door. He guessed he had nothing to loose.

As if on cue Kevin and Javier ran through the door, guns drawn ready to take the sum bag down. ''NYPD FREEZE!'' The duo yelled in unison as they looked round the loft. The sight in front of them was awful.

Josh didn't resist. He couldn't, Ryan and Espo were on him like a disease. Castle just fell beside Kate. Her hair was spread out on the floor. He always wondered what it would look like, but never like this…

* * *

That day haunted him for the rest of his life. Their funerals were small. Just close friends and family. Martha, Jim,Meredith, Kevin, Ryan, Victoria, and a few other family members attended both. That day he lost his only daughter. Images of the little red head flashed though his mind. From her as a baby, to her first bike. Her 13th Birthday party to them playing laser tag. _She never got to graduate…._ _She never got to live… _He thought to himself, silent tears ran down his face, every night was the same after that day. Different images and memories they shared together played in his mind. He had no idea what would happen now. That day he lost her. He lost Katharine Beckett. He knew how much he annoyed her, he tried to stop but he knew she loved it too. He hoped at least. But the thing that hurt him the most was that he never got to tell her he loved her. He never got to finish his third book with her. So many things he never got to do with her. Images of her smile, her eyes and hair set up house in his mind alongside Alexis.

Rick hated himself for what had happened, he blamed himself. Feeling responsible he drank himself into oblivion. No more novels. No more ride-along. No more life…

* * *

_Kate, I hope you can hear me. You too Alexis. I love you both so much. I never told you enough Alexis, and I never told you at all Kate. Look after her up there, I wish I could be there with you. Hell I wish you could be here with me. _

_Alexis, your mother's been by a lot recently. She says we should spend time together, remember the times we had with you. The thing is I can't. It's just too hard. She looks so much like you and I can't bare it. Please don't hate me. I love you Alexis don't ever forget that. Sleep tight beautiful._

_Kate, I haven't been to the precinct at all. The last time I walked though them doors was with you. And I wont do it any other way. The boys call me all the time. I never answer. They stop by but I never open the door. I don't open the door to anyone anymore. I hope your mom was waiting for you Kate. She'll be so proud of you. You know what I thought when I first met you? I thought that you were the one mystery I was never gong to solve. I guess I will never be able to now. I love you Kate, I always have, and I ALWAYS will. Sleep tight Kate-Nikki Heat- Beckett. ALWAYS._

_I will see you both soon. Sleep tight my angles._

_Richard Edgar Alexander Castle…_


End file.
